Ladder attachment.



WITNESSES N. l. SMITH.

LADDER ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15.1916.

Patented July 16, 1918.

ATTORNEY m: NuRms FEYERS Co" PNOTU-LITHQ. wAsHINGrON. a. c.

UNITED srarns Parana carton.

NELSON I. SMITH, or WINSTED, ConnECTrCUT.

, LADDER ATTACHMENT.

Application filed September 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: I

' Be it known that I, NELsoN I. SMrrn,a citizen of the United States,residing at Winsted, in the county of Litchfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LadderAttachments, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates 'to attachments for ladders, and the like, andaims primarily to provide a mechanism of improved construc tion forapplication to the side rails of-a ladder for lengthening the sameshould it be desiredto use the ladder upon an uneven sur face.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device o-fthischaracter having improved means for-adjusting the leg the requireddistance. A still further object of the invention is to provide a ladderattachment of the character set forth which is equipped with improvedmeans for preventing slipping of the ladder, which embodies means formaintaining the extensible leg positively in its various positions ofadjustment, which may be readily attached to and detached froni' theladder, whichjis composed of but fewsi rnple, inenpen'siv and readilyassembled parts, and which will prove thoroughly practical and eflicientin operation.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation,combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described morefully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the lower portion of aladder and illustrating the application of the attachment constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section taken upon line 55 of Fig. 4c.

In carrying out the invention, use is made of a suitable base which isapplied to one of the legs or side rails of a step ladder and adjacentthe end thereof, and within which is slidably arranged a leg. This legcarries Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

SerialNo. 120,378.

foot at one end affording a suitable tread surface to engage with theground and to support the weight of the ladder. A threaded shank iscarried by the base and extends loosely through a platform projectinglaterally fromthe leg, the said shank being also detachably secured tothe lowermost rung of the ladder. A nut or bur is retained upon theplatform of the leg and is threadedly engaged with the shank so thatrotary movement of the nut will adjust the leg upon the base, dependingupon the direction of rotation of the nut.

Referring now particularly to the draw lngs, 6 represents the leg of aconventional form of step ladder, and 7 the rungs therefor. A base 8 issecured as by screws 9 to the inner face of one of the side rails 6adjacent the end thereof,'the said base being of substantially the samewidth as the said rail. The outermost extremity of of the base extendsat right angles as shown to engage over the end of the ladder rail. Thisbase is formed of suitable metal, and has its 1011- gitudinal edgesstruck upwardly and in wardly as shown to provide guide rails 10.

' An ear or support 11 is secured, by rivets or bolts,-to the base 8adjacent the lower end thereof, and projects at right angles to thesaidjbase between the guiderails 10. Se cured adjacent the outer end ofthe ear or support 11 and projecting upwardly therefrom is a threadedshank or stem 12, the said shank being disposed parallel to the base 8,and has secured to its upper end a malleable plate or clip member to beengaged around the rung of the ladder to maintain the shank rigid inproper position.

Arranged for sliding movement within the guide way formed between thespaced guide rails 10 is a leg 14, the latter being constructed of anelongated plate bent angularly' at its lower end to form a foot 15. Thisfoot is provided with downwardly projecting teeth or cleats 16 forengagement with the ground to prevent slipping of the ladder. The plate14: is of a width to fit sungly within the guide ways so as not tooscillate therein, and is bent outwardly at its uppermost end to providea platform 17, through which the threaded shank or stem 12 looselyprojects. This platform has its edges struck upwardly and bent inwardlyto provide retaining members 18, the latter confining a rotatable bur orscrew member 19 threadedly engaged with the shank 12.,

- when required. The clip The plate constituting the. leg 14: isprovided with an elongated centrally arranged slot 20, through which theinner end of the ear Or support 11 passes, so that the legeis free toslide within the guide way.

Secured to the bottom end of the opposite ladder rail 6 is a wear plate21, having in its lower surface detents or cleats 22 for engagement inthe ground to assist in preventing the ladder from slipping when in use.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided an extremelysimple adjustable leg for attachment to ladder rails or the like. Whenit is desired to use the ladder upon uneven supporting surfaces, thescrew member or bur 19 is rotated in such direction as will extend orretract the adjustable leg 14, accordingly as the same is moved. Thedevice is constructed in such manner as to be capable of quickattachment to and detachment from the ladder rail or plate 13 at theupper end of the shank 12 holds the said shank rigid and permits of thedevice being adjustably maintained upon the ladder. In the foregoing, Ihave described the invention as being associated with the side rails ofa ladder, but 1t will be understood, of course, that the same may beequally as well applied to stanchions, scaffolding, or the like.

While the present is an illustration of the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is obvious that minor changes in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to if desired,without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding thescope of the claims, and the right to make such variation inconstruction is hereby reserved.

What is claimed is y 1. In a device of the class described, a base, aleg slidably mounted upon said base, a screw shank fixedly secured tosaid base and arranged in spaced parallel relation therewith, a screwmember carried by said leg and engaged with the threads of said shankand a clip carried at the free end of said shank.

2. In a device of the class described, a leg slidably arranged upon aladder rail, a screw member rotatably mounted upon said leg, a threadedshank for engagement through said screw member, and means for securingsaid shank to a rung of said ladder.

3. In a device of the class described, a base having a guide way andadapted to be secured to the ladder rail, a leg slidably mounted in saidguide way, a foot at one end of said leg, a platform fixed to said leg,a rotatable screw member on said platform, a threaded shank fixed at oneend to said base and projecting through said platform and screw member,and a malleable clip at-the free end of said screw member adapted to beengaged with the rung of said ladder. V In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

NELSON 1. SMITH.

Witnesses: r p

WILBUR G. MANCHESTER, GERTRUDE E. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. I

